I can select 'all elements' in the animation pallet and it does keyframe everything within a character but I'd still like some things left alone, e.g. wings, or even fingers, I animate the body then go back and do the fiddly bits - if keyframes have been put into them then I have to select and delete the key frames (which isn't so bad for one set, but becomes a pain for multiple props with multiple parts and articulated digits)..

 

I guess there isn't a script that can do what I'm after here, I'll get started on making one, thanks everyone for your help :)